Anales de pediatría : publicación oficial de la Asociación Española de Pediatría (A.E.P.)
-
Multicenter Study
[Epidemiological characteristics and risk factors for apparent life-threatening events].
To report our experience with a guideline approach for the assessment of apparent life-threatening events (ALTE) in our pediatric emergency departments (PED), to know their incidence, epidemiological characteristics and the yield of laboratory investigations (LI). ⋯ The ALTE incidence was 5 per thousand live births. Primogenits and/or behavioral abnormalities were most frequent during the first weeks after birth and/or thereafter at 12 months of age. A total of 42% had a related diagnosis: associated with age older than 12 weeks, maternal smoking habits and abnormalities at examination. There was one case of SIDS. Laboratory investigations had a low yield.
-
The cases of two 6 and 9-year-old sisters with lethal poisoning by inhalation of aluminium phosphide, after its inadequate use in a rural environment, are described. The clinical symptoms consisted of sudden vomiting, cardiac arrhythmias, shock, dyspnea, pulmonary edema/acute respiratory distress, metabolic acidosis and hepatic dysfunction, and the patients died in spite of advanced life support. Although an early diagnosis might theoretically improve the poisoning outcome, its high lethality rate and the absence of a specific antidote, efforts must be directed towards prevention and restricting its use as pesticide and being aware of its toxicity.
-
An onychomadesis outbreak associated with hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) was notified in winter 2008 in Valencia, Spain, with more than 200 people affected, the majority children. Even though this association has already described, this was the first outbreak known in the world. Sixteen cases of post-viral onychomadesis post viral in Valladolid are presented ⋯ The clinical and epidemiological characteristics of this report were similar to the Valencia outbreak: age, geographic clustering, acral eruption prior, etc. Perhaps the diagnosis is underestimated due to ignorance of the disease and the long interval between the acute viral process and nail shedding.